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Abstract

In recent years, a number of neutrino oscillation experiments have provided conclusive evidence that neutrinos have non-zero masses. Nevertheless, the absolute scale of these masses which has a fundamental relevance to particle physics and cosmology cannot be deduced from those oscillation experiments. A model independent way to determine the absolute mass scale with a laboratory experiment consists in a precise investigation of the endpoint region of the β spectrum (tritium or 187 Re). Recent experiments using tritium have resulted in upper limits for m ( ¯νe) of about 2 eV/c 2. As a next-generation tritium β decay experiment, the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment (KATRIN) will increase the sensitivity on m ( ¯νe) by one order of magnitude with respect to previous measurements. The experimental set-up includes a windowless gaseous tritium source and two successive electrostatic spectrometers with magnetic adiabatic collimation (MAC-E filter). This talk will give an overview of the direct neutrino mass experiments and report on the current status of the KATRIN project, with major components now being under construction.